THE WILD THINGS
2024 RECAP
Reading the lines on the Mad River.
Working side-by-side, the Mad River Path and the Friends of the Mad River have completed a wild week of adventures in the heart of the Mad River Valley.
On Sunday we set camp in the Stetson Hollow in Warren, by the side of a crystal-clear cascading stream. The weather was dry, and we gathered a lot of firewood for the days ahead. With our tents and tarp set, and the traditional stone fireplace with wooden hooks (spunhungen) built, we now had a snug camp from which we could explore the world around us.
Monday morning donned with clear skies and a Mad River at a perfect water level for canoeing. After working on a flood-damage cleanup at the Austin Walk and learning the strokes we paddled from the Lareau Swim Hole, six miles to Meadow Road, the route of the Mad River Triathlon. It was a fabulous day with lots of swimming and jumping off the high places. All seven students made commendable progress in reading the river and practicing traditional stand-up paddling. We observed the water and how it changed from crystal clear in Warren to more polluted as it passed through Waitsfield and surrounding agricultural fields. We fell asleep tired, just as it started to rain.
We picked lots of berries for Meals on Wheels at Knoll Farm.
Tuesday was overcast, so we gathered by the fire under the tarp and learned how to use carving knives. By mid-day, it was raining hard and we had to reset our tarps, relocate the tents, and dig drainage channels. We had very little dry space, nevertheless, we started carving wooden spoons and learning the Indigenous art of coal burning. In the late afternoon, we hiked up the hollow, exploring the waterfall and an abandoned house. Then the rain picked up again and we returned to camp soaked through, but it did not matter that much as we lit the fire and dried out around it.
Rainy day at camp.
On Wednesday morning we worked on our spoons, before heading out to work at Knoll Farm. We picked blueberries for Meals on Wheels, and more blueberries to take back to camp.
Coal burning the bowl of a cedar spoon.
On Thursday we woke up early and after pancake and blueberry breakfast went swimming at Warren Falls, before meeting with George and Lynne at Lareau farm. We helped to sort out the slab wood for fence building, fed the pigs and chickens, weeded the lettuce beds, and harvested potatoes, garlic, and raspberries. After three hours of joyful work, we were treated to a delicious flatbread and brownie lunch. You should have seen that food disappearing from the trays! Tired from work we spent the afternoon swimming and finishing our spoons. That evening, we ate the potato soup, cooked with our harvest, and ate with the spoons we had made! For dessert, we learned how to make Bannock cooked over the fire.
Making Bannock.
On Friday we started up Mount Abe at 5 AM, reaching the summit by 8 AM. We were surrounded by cold fog and it was windy. We huddled and waited, and were treated to an unforgettable magical moment of the fog lifting, revealing the marvelous beauty of the world all around us! On Friday afternoon we finished the program with a performance for families and friends.
On the summit of Mount Abe.
Thank you to all the staff and partners who made the Wild Things an unforgettable experience for children:
Onome Ofoman and the Friends of the Mad River
Anna Mairose
The Knoll Farm
Lareau Farm and American Flat Bread
Three Mountain Café